This timeline was created by the TBE 7th grade class of 5776.For more information about the Holocaust and World War II, visit our resources section.

September 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland in a Blitzkrieg, or speed invasion. This marks the start of World War II. Two days later England and France declare war on Germany.April 9, 1940: Germany invades Demark and Norway. When Denmark was invaded by Germany, King Christian X had non-Jews including himself wear the Jewish star as a protest against the Nazis and to support their Jewish neighbors.June 10, 1940: One day after the invasion and surrender of Denmark, the Italians declare war and invade southern France.September 10, 1940: Italy invades Egypt from Libya.October 1940: Italy invades Greece from Albania.November 1940: Slovakia, Hungry and Romania join the Axis Powers.March 1, 1941: Bulgaria joins the Axis Powers. April-June 1941: Germany, Italy, Bulgaria and Hungry invade and take over Yugoslavia.June 21, 1941: The Axis Powers invade the Soviet Union (except Bulgaria). Due to the losses of the Finnish in the war against the Soviets, Finland joins the fight against the Russians.December 7, 1941: The Japanese, an ally of Germany, bomb Pearl Harbor, a United States military base. The USA declares war against Japan the following day.December 11, 1941: The Germans declare war on the United States, and the United States responds by declaring war on Germany.October 1942: The British defeat the Axis in Egypt.November 1942-February 1943: The Soviets break the Hungarian lines and the Romanian lines and start the military downfall of the Nazis.July 10, 1943: The British invade Sicily, Italy.November 1943: The Soviets liberate Kiev, Ukraine, the third largest city in the Soviet Union, from the Nazis.January 22, 1944: Allied troops land in Rome, Italy.June 6, 1944: The Allied troops land in Normandy, France, a key turning point in World War II.August 5, 1944: The Allies reach Paris, which was under German control.September 12, 1944: The Finnish sign an armistice with the Soviets, leaving the Axis Powers. January 12, 1945: The Soviets liberate Warsaw and Krakow in Poland, leading the Soviets to encircle Germany.April 30, 1945: Hitler commits suicide with his wife Eva Braun.May 7, 1945: Germany surrenders to the Allies. Two days later, Germany surrenders to the Soviets.August 6, 1945: The United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, they drop a second on Nagasaki, Japan.September 2, 1945: Having agreed in principle to unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945, Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II.

Total loss of life (this number includes military deaths from all causes, civilian deaths due to military activity and crimes against humanity, and civilian deaths due to war-related famine and disease)Worldwide: 70,000,000-85,000,000 people (3.0-3.7% of 1939 population)Soviet Union: 27,000,000 people (13.7% of 1940 population)China: 15,000,000-20,000,000 people (2.90-3.86% of 1939 population)Germany: 6,900,000-7,400,000 people (8.26-8.86% of 1939 population)Poland: 5,900,000-6,000,000 people (16.93-17.22% of 1939 population)Japan: 2,500,000-3,238,000 people (3.50-4.54% of 1939 population)